Purple Knights' two-goal third-period rally falls short 

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Contact: Tony Bonvechio - Phone: 802.654.2929

Box Score: http://smcathletics.com/sports/wice/2010-11/files/wstastm2.htm.
Photos (Pics taken by Mary Ann Graf): http://www.smcathletics.com/sports/wice/2010-11/photos/0024/index.

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Saint Michael's College women's hockey team (5-19-2) dropped a 6-2 decision to Saint Anselm in their first game of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Open Tournament at Cairns Arena on Saturday.

For Saint Anselm (20-6-0), junior Aly Zappen (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) had two goals and an assist, and sophomore Rosemarie Giarrusso (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./North American Hockey Academy) tallied three assists. For the Purple Knights, sophomores Chrissy Skrzat (Lansdale, Pa./Boston Shamrocks) and Alison Graf (Long Lake, Minn./Minnesota Thoroughbreds) each picked up a goal in the third period.  

The Hawks pumped out four goals in the opening period, with Zappen scoring twice and Giarru collecting two assists. Freshman Jacqueline Bouchie (Belmont, Mass./The Rivers School) struck first with a wrist shot that snuck through the five hole, then Zappen redirected Giarru's power play slapshot to put Saint Anselm up 2-0. Senior Kristen Byrne (Duxbury, Mass./Cape Cod Sharks) netted the Hawks' third goal before Zappen closed out the period with her second tally of the game.

Saint Anselm added two more goals in the second period, but Saint Michael's sophomore goalie Erin Stevens (Watertown, Conn./Connecticut Polar Bears) managed to slow the Hawk offense enough to shut them out in the final period. Stevens' work in net allowed the Purple Knights to rally for two goals before surrendering the contest. Skrzat knocked in her first goal of the year on a rebound to cap a 5-on-3 advantage, and Graf planted a slap shot in the top left shelf from above the left circle.

Stevens made 19 saves in two periods in goal for the Purple Knights, while junior goalie Amy Zappen (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison) made 17 saves in her 13^th win of the season.

Saint Michael's will face Sacred Heart in tomorrow's consolation game at 1 p.m., and Saint Anselm moves on to tomorrow's 4 p.m. championship game against Holy Cross, who knocked off Sacred Heart 5-3 earlier today.

GAME SUMMARY

                                    1          2          3          Total                           
Saint Michael's            0          0          2          2
Saint Anselm               4          2          0          6         

SCORING

First Period: 1. STA, Bouchie (Winters), 3:28. 2. STA, Zappen (Giarru, Hingston), 7:20. 3. STA, Byrne (Giarru), 12:28. 4. STA, Zappen (Conway, Sylvester), 16:47.
Second Period: 5. STA, Hingston (Zappen, Winters), 3:09. 6. STA, Ellins (Giarru), 13:29.
Third Period: 7. STM, Skrzat (McDonald), 10:05. 8. STM, Graf (Thomas, Santore), 16:37.
Shots on Goal: STM (3 – 7 – 9 – 19), STA (16 – 13 – 8 – 37).                                                                                         
Saves: STM, Goldman, 20:00 (12 saves); STM, Stevens, 40:00 (19 saves). STA, Zappen, 59:45 (17 saves).

-PURPLEKNIGHTS-